Gandhinagar: Lots of social media handles, mainly belonging to the supporters of the opposition parties are these days found claiming that the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MoHFW) has reduced the cut-off percentile for National Eligibility Entrance Test-Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2023 counselling to ‘zero’, to benefit Disha Mandaviya, the daughter of Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

However Mansukh Mandaviya has categorically stated that his daughter has not even applied for the NEET exam. He also added that those “who keep doing politics, make no difference to us.”

Several netizens took to social media platforms alleging that the cut-off has been reduced by the ministry so that Mansukh Mandaviya’s daughter Disha Mandaviya could get admission. Reacting to these allegations, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya clarified in a TV interview during Swasthya Bharat Samman Conclave by Bharat 24 news channel, “First of all my daughter has not even applied for the NEET exam. So whether or not the relaxation has been issued for that purpose is out of the question.”

The minister also clarified that the NEET-PG 2023 cut-off was reduced because a huge number of medical PG seats were being left vacant every year. He added that this year, as many as 10,000 to 13,000 PG medical seats were expected to be left vacant after the counselling process.

FORDA (Federation of Resident Doctors' Association India) writes to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya appreciating the recent decision by the Health Ministry regarding the eligibility criteria for NEET PG 2023. pic.twitter.com/vULmVAFUXI

— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2023

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) reduced the cut-off percentile to zero for NEET-PG 2023 counselling via a notification dated Wednesday, September 20. It’s worth noting that the decision for zero percentile has been welcomed by Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association of India and other medico organizations.